Missing Ca. couple found after day hike

Glad they are OK , but I will shut up

This is why you keep on searching....

Yeah, I hear that. Glad they’re okay, but ...

https://sfist.com/2020/02/23/palo-alto-couple-that-went-missing-valentines-day-was-found-alive/



PS. Read elsewhere that they where found near Shell Beach.

https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&client=firefox-b-d&sxsrf=ALeKk02Veziou5QapaoqbUCfvHlrUMqKQQ:1582884270571&q=shell+beach+inverness+ca&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=38120376,-122887914,1212&tbm=lcl&ved=2ahUKEwiKwau1__PnAhVK3qQKHUj1CMMQtgN6BAgMEAQ&tbs=lrf:!1m4!1u2!2m2!2m1!1e1!1m5!1u15!2m2!15m1!1shas_1wheelchair_1accessible_1entrance!4e2!2m1!1e2!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:1&rldoc=1#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:[[38.133891299999995,-122.8630864],[38.1082324,-122.90341839999998]];tbs:lrf:!1m4!1u2!2m2!2m1!1e1!2m1!1e2!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:1

Is anyone here familiar with that area? I wonder if they could have called for help had they brought their cell phones.

Clearly, a GPS with their hotel or car location saved would have made all the difference for them.

Yesterday I was using both an older non SiRF GPS model (Garmin Gecko 301) and a newer SiRF GPS model (Garmin GPSMAP 60csx), and the difference in their abilities to lock on to satellite is stunning. The 60csx could get a lock from inside my house! If the couple were in deep woods, I assume a newer GPS could get a lock.

Does anyone know if a modern smartphone GPS has the newer SiRF type GPS that provides the same kind of fast lock capability?

I now live (retired) in a very rural area of NE Wisconsin that has poor cell service (spotty 3G or 4G), and I need to start testing my smartphone's GPS capabilities for this very reason. Getting lost is a real possibility here.

I'm glad the couple was found. I thought they both look very young for their age.

Even the simplest of preps would have helped them;
- cellphone with GPS program
- leaving a trip plan with someone
- having small backpacks with food, water, jackets, lights, matches etc
- plb
- compass ( and knowledge)

One might wonder about some aspects of the search effort, as well, although the searchers evidently faced some significant obstacles. Did they know anything of their plans? They could have been confronted with a very large, poorly defined search are if the couple's objectives were unknown.

Still,searching for several days? how is it that the couple was finally making some noise, leading to their recovery? People who make themselves conspicuous, one way or another, improve their odds considerably.

It would be useful to read a constructive critque of the incident, but those are rarely available.